Shooting Stars is a lavish and well made production that promises much. The acting is first rate and the world building regarding the Republican Era, second to none.

At its heart is a very strong theme that people and relationships matter. Camaraderie is important and working together to achieve the greater good is a worthy goal to aspire to. Family in its different forms is shown too. The conflict between brothers a vital cog in how the plot unfolds.

The first 16 episodes were superb. There were a range of scenarios regarding who might be good and who might be bad. It was also intersecting re the portrayal of the police force at this time, the rise of the different political factions and the evilness of the Japanese menace. Show used actual footage from events that occurred at that time, deftly weaving our characters into what happened.

However, in the second half of the story, the patriotic fervour was a bit overdone. On some occasions it was over sentimentalised. Chen Hao as the face of such idealism was overdone. I was wasn’t convinced of his relationship with Miss Shi, but she was a fabulous character. His friendship with Yuan Sheng was a key part of the story, but I found its execution so so at times.

Our lead couple were very good. I liked their relationship. So much was against them, but their genuineness shone through. Min Min was a delight: delicate but strong and very loyal. Yuan Sheng needed to lighten up a bit ?

Overall, Shooting Stars is worth a look. The set design, wardrobe and old vehicles are worth watching for these aspects alone.